USC California Gubernatorial Debate Canceled Less Than 24 Hours Before Airtime Over Controversial Viability Formula That Weighed Fundraising as Well as Polls
- Elisa Ballard
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
LOS ANGELES — The University of Southern California and KABC-TV abruptly canceled a high-profile 2026 California gubernatorial debate scheduled for Tuesday evening, March 24, after days of intense criticism that its invitation criteria unfairly excluded prominent candidates of color. The event, titled “Your Voice, Your Vote: Race for Governor 2026,” had been set to air live from USC’s Bovard Auditorium and stream statewide.
What made the cancellation particularly notable was the explicit methodology used to choose participants: it was not based solely on polling numbers. Instead, USC Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Christian Grose created an independent “candidate viability formula” that combined recent polling data with a fundraising metric normalized by the number of days each candidate had been in the race. Polling (drawn from the Public Policy Institute of California’s February 3–11, 2026 survey) was weighted more heavily — approximately 65% of the final score — but the fundraising component (total dollars raised divided by days campaigning) accounted for the remaining portion. This per-day adjustment was designed to level the playing field for later-entering candidates who could raise large sums quickly.
The resulting top-six viability scores produced an all-white lineup:
Tom Steyer (D) — highest score
Steve Hilton (R)
Eric Swalwell (D)
Katie Porter (D)
Matt Mahan (D, San Jose mayor — a relatively late entrant who benefited from the fundraising-per-day calculation)
Chad Bianco (R, Riverside County Sheriff)
Candidates who fell just below the cutoff included four well-known Democrats of color: former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former State Controller Betty Yee, and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. The gap between sixth- and seventh-place scores was described by organizers as “significant,” justifying the limit of six participants.
Excluded candidates and their supporters quickly labeled the formula “arbitrary,” “rigged,” and biased toward wealthier or newer candidates. Becerra publicly accused organizers of weighing the rules “in favor of wealthy candidates [and] mega donors” while penalizing those who had been campaigning longer and exposing themselves to more voter scrutiny. A joint letter from the excluded Democrats urged invited candidates to boycott unless the field was expanded.
In a statement issued late Monday night, USC said it stood by the “data-driven” and “objective” nature of Professor Grose’s methodology — which it noted mirrored formulas used in national debates — but acknowledged that the controversy had become “a significant distraction from the issues that matter to voters.” The university and KABC were unable to reach an agreement on expanding the participant list, leading to the cancellation. USC added that it would seek other opportunities to educate voters on the candidates and issues.
The planned broadcast would have reached a wide audience: English-language coverage on ABC7 stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fresno from 5–6 p.m. PDT (with additional streaming), plus Spanish-language coverage on Univision 34 and affiliates.
Informal X Space Alternative Features Steve Hilton and Elaine Culotti
In the immediate aftermath of the cancellation, Republican candidate Steve Hilton participated in a low-key, audio-only X Space (formerly Twitter Spaces) debate that evening, co-hosted by Priya Patel and Buzz Patterson. The only other candidate to join Hilton was Elaine Culotti running as a No Party Preference (NPP) candidate — essentially as an independent. She has explicitly stated she is neither Republican nor Democrat, positioning herself as a “neutral leader” and “negotiator” who listens to both sides and prioritizes “California and Californians first” over partisan extremes. Culotti is a California-based entrepreneur, real estate developer, interior designer, farm-to-table farmer (“Lipstick Farmer”), and reality TV personality (star of Discovery+’s Undercover Billionaire). She has been vocal as a Daily Signal columnist and advocate for rural and agricultural communities.
The informal session took live audience questions but drew limited participation overall. Many of the higher-profile candidates were occupied with last-minute adjustments following the USC cancellation — some, like Tom Steyer, organized their own in-person alternative forums — while the excluded Democrats continued to press for broader inclusion.
Upcoming Gubernatorial Debates Remain on the Calendar
Despite Tuesday’s cancellation, voters will still have multiple televised opportunities to see the candidates before the June 2, 2026, primary.
Nexstar Media Group Statewide Debate Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 Time: 7 p.m. PT Location: Originating live from KRON4 studios in San Francisco Broadcast: Simulcast across Nexstar stations including KTLA (Los Angeles), KUSI/FOX5 (San Diego), KTXL (Sacramento), and others serving Bakersfield and Fresno. Moderated by Nikki Laurenzo and Frank Buckley.
CBS/Pomona College Debate Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026 Time: 5:30 p.m. PT Location: Bridges Auditorium, Pomona College Details: Co-hosted by CBS stations, Pomona College, and the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association (APAPA). Candidates will be invited based on polling and fundraising criteria; the event will be broadcast and streamed on CBS stations across California.
With the primary less than three months away and California’s top-two system likely to produce a competitive general-election matchup, these remaining debates are expected to draw significant attention. The swift cancellation of the USC debate has underscored the tensions in what remains a wide-open 2026 governor’s race with no clear frontrunner. It also highlighted a recurring challenge in California politics: how to balance “objective” metrics like money and polls with race-based identity politics on the debate stage.
